What's on for families in Leeds over the Christmas holidays?

NYE parties, a festival of music & lights & piglets at the farm; there's lots on for families as the Christmas Holidays continue in Leeds!

On December 31, Boomchikkaboom Events are putting on a great family-friendly party for everyone to enjoy! Head down to New Craven Hall on the outskirts of the Leeds for their NYE Family Rave Out, which takes place from 2pm until 4pm. They’re promising good music, soft play, craft tables, a bouncy castle, a (fake) tattoo parlour, bubble and foam machines, plus singing and dancing galore of course! They’ll also have the photo booth set up for you to snap away for some memorable photographs of the last day of 2016! This is a ticket only event.

Also on December 31, head down to The Rainbow Factory, Farsley for a family-friendly NYE celebration featuring superhero training, party games, treasure hunt, singing, a quiz and more! With special guest appearances from some of our most loved characters...! There are two time slots for this event, so choose from 11am - 12.30pm OR 2pm - 3.30pm. This is a ticket only event.

If the kids love animals and you appreciate a crisp winter walk amongst beautiful scenery, Temple Newsam is the perfect day out for you this week, There are two sets of gorgeous piglets residing at Home Farm for the children to get giddy over. New mums Pixie and Daisy have been moved down the yard with their new piglets and Fudge the expectant Tamworth is in the Maternity ward in anticipation of her new arrivals due in the New Year.

The Festive Film Matinees at Leeds Industrial Museum; Armley Mills are fantastic value. Included in the entry fee for the museum, they are showing a recent winter blockbuster everyday at 2pm in their vintage 1920s cinema until December 31.

If you enjoy the great outdoors, then grab the hats, gloves and scarves and head over to Bolton Abbey to follow their Christmas Pantomime Trail through Strid Wood. During this festive winter walk suitable for all you can find your favourite scenes and characters from much loved pantomimes as you explore the Wood. Make sure to wrap up warm and take lots of photographs!

Feel like getting crafty in the New Year? On January 2 and 3, Angels and Butterflies Designs in Garforth are running a Sand Art Workshop, during which you can make a sand art calendar to be displayed for the whole of 2017.

Christmas Adventure at Stockeld Park continues until January 3, including the magical Santa's Grotto plus real ice skating, the Enchanted Forest, Yew Tree Maze, Nordic Skiing and much, much more. The park closes early on Christmas Eve & New Years Eve at 7pm and opens at 1pm on New Year’s Day. Santa flies off at 6.00 on Christmas Eve and Stockeld is closed on Christmas Day & Boxing Day.www.stockeldpark.co.uk

Visitors to Eureka! The National Children's Museum in Halifax will be able to watch 'Snow Day', a festive show seeing winter through the eyes of a child for the very first time, with the help of a rather frosty companion. Snow Day runs until January 2. Open every day of the holidays, 10am to 5pm, except Christmas Eve, Christmas, Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.

Leeds has been lit up by the Magical Lantern Festival at Roundhay Park and we can't get enough of it, so don't miss out on your chance to experience this enchanting, Christmas themed event, including Santa's Grotto. A festival of light and illumination, visitors will follow a trail around the park and explore amazing giant lanterns, which represent Christmas, traditional Chinese culture and the amazing 2000-year heritage of Lantern Festivals. The festival is open every day during the Christmas holidays apart from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Christmas at Leeds Kirkgate Market has lots to offer, from brass bands filling the 1904 Hall with festive favourites, to the chance to meet Santa, the halls will be full of Christmas cheer. The newly refurbished Covered Daily Market will host a Christmas Craft Fair, along with pop up theatre performances in the event space. The market is closed January 1 and 2.

Pantomimes

Peter Pan at The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford continues until January 29, with this traditional show starring Billy Pierce, Darren Day, Charlie Hardwick and Jon Lee. Join Billy as he boards the Jolly Roger and heads to Neverland to fight the evil Hook.

Sleeping Beauty, the rock 'n' roll pantomime at City Varieties Music Hall, is on until January 8. Sing along to the Eagles, Whitney Houston, Marvin Gaye and more. With all the familiar characters, jokes and full-blown and now legendary 'boulder fight'. Fantastic fun for adults and children alike!

Dick Whittington and his famous feline friend are off on a magical adventure to find the mythical streets paved with gold. Join them by booking tickets to Harrogate Theatre's pantomime, which continues to show until January 15.

There's more panto fun to be had at the Carriageworks Theatre in Leeds, with their enchanting production of Cinderella, the classic rags to riches tale we all adore. So why not join Cinders and Prince Charming at the ball for a fantastic theatre experience? Showing until January 7.

Another big panto production for Leeds continues during the holidays at The Tetley. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a star studded family show starring Geordie Shore's Scotty T as the Prince. You can catch this one until January 1.

More magical theatrical experiences...

Rudolf at Leeds' West Yorkshire Playhouse is on until Decemer 31 and is perfect for ages 2-6. The play follows the adventures of a certain red nosed reindeer who's finding it difficult to fit in at reindeer school and is loads of festive fun for the family.

Also at WYP (until January 21), The Witches. Roald Dahl’s scariest book is brought to life in a tremendously terrifying treat for the whole family. Suitable for ages 5+.

Fountains Abbey in the Christmas Holidays

There's lots of festive fun to be had at Fountains Abbey during the Christmas holidays! Closed from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 December, but open every other day including New Years Day, here's a summary of their family events...

If these walls could talk… Join one of the knowledgeable guides as they bring to life the dramatic history of this fascinating building with a Winter Abbey Tour. Meet at Porter’s Lodge. Saturdays and Sundays until 31 March 2017; 1.30pm – 2.30pm

The Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal deer have prepared a special Reindeers Explorer Map for Father Christmas’s reindeer, pointing out all the amazing places across the estate. Grab your very own reindeer’s explorer map to follow in their hoofsteps. Every day 10am – 4pm. The deer park is open all over Christmas and New Year.

Fountains Christmas Post Office is officially open for business and perfect for writing those thank you letters to the big man in red for a job well done! Paper, pens, envelopes and stamps will be provided – all that’s left is for you to write your letter, become the postmaster, and send it off to the North Pole. 11am – 4pm

Pop into Swanley Grange's Woolly Winter Workshop and make a festive decoration to take home. While you’re there check out the sheep who are staying cosy in the winter weather with their woolly fleeces. 11am – 3pm.

Fountains Abbey have just the thing to enjoy on a cold winter’s afternoon with their Music and Lights Festival on 27, 29, 30 and 31 December. Tuck into a hot pulled pork sandwich and a mulled wine from the visitor centre then wander through the estate to see the trees twinkling with light and the abbey all aglow with the colours of the rainbow. Stop by the cellarium to catch some live festive music – don’t hesitate to join in if you know the tune!